Wireless communication networks are becoming increasingly important in the voice, video and data communications arenas as demand for “instant availability” and “position transparency” increases. Wireless types of communication networks typically employ one or more base stations that are used to communicate with a collection of wireless communication devices and associated transceivers within a cell of the wireless communication network. Historically, the wireless communication devices have been mobile telephones or paging devices. However, the types of wireless devices are steadily growing as new types of wireless products and services rapidly proliferate.
A prevalent wireless communication network employs a collection of contiguous cells wherein each cell has a base station located therein. The base station communicates directly with each wireless communication device located within its cell to accommodate its messaging. This message may be directed to another wireless communication device located within the same cell. Additionally, the message may be communicated with a wireless communication device located within another cell, or a wireless communication device that is not part of the wireless communication network. In all of these cases, the wireless communication device communicates directly with its base station to accomplish its messaging.
A characteristic such as signal strength (i.e., signal power) associated with a message between a wireless communication device and its base station may typically diminish as an inverse function of an exponential factor (e.g., the square) of the distance between them. As a practical consideration, the transmit power associated with a base station or a transmitter of the wireless communication device is limited by legal or system considerations to a maximum allowable level. Additionally, the signal path between the base station and the wireless communication device is typically not line-of-sight and may be obscured by changes in elevation or other obstacles such as tall buildings. Multiple signal paths, often producing reflections, may also introduce signal fading as these multiple signals recombine in a random manner.
Log-normal shadowing and severe weather conditions, such as storms having lightning, rain or ice, may also diminish the signal strength associated with the message. Therefore, a wireless communication device located near the periphery of a cell may experience signal strength problems that sharply degrade a quality of service associated with message whereas a wireless communication device positioned more closely within the cell to the base station does not experience such a degradation.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a way to reduce signal degradation associated with a wireless communication device within a wireless communication network.